


Marks of gold

by WahlBuilder



Category: Horus Heresy - Various Authors
Genre: Body Paint, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:04:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9478745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WahlBuilder/pseuds/WahlBuilder
Summary: Roboute is distracted by golden paint, and wonders about its origins. Marius has a good laugh.





	

The light was caught and trapped by the golden flecks, and so it drew Roboute’s attention. He turned his right palm slowly, watching the flicker and shimmer of the paint. As if a leaf of gold was pressed to his palm—or his true body was made from gold and now started to manifest. It filled the creases of his palm, and, looking at the manuscript he was filling, he saw his own gold fingerprints he had left on the paper and never noticed. The gold stood out warmly against the cream of the paper.

‘My King? Is everything all right?’

Roboute looked up at Marius, just as distracted, trying to remember where he could have touched something covered in this peculiar paint—and more importantly, what was it that he hadn’t noticed it until now.

‘Yes, my friend. All is well. I am sorry, I was lost in thoughts.’ He looked down at his right palm again, drawn to the paint and the play of light. He rubbed his fingertips against each other, then he wiped his palm on his pants experimentally. Flecks of the paint left a trail on the green fabric, but most of it remained stubbornly on his skin.

He was sure he had seen it somewhere, this particular gold, the warmest hue.

‘It is no wonder you are… distracted.’ Marius chuckled, and Roboute looked at him again, a clarifying question already on his tongue…

And then he felt like a fool. He felt like a boy, heat creeping up his face. He felt like walking out of the window to spare everyone embarrassment. His left hand shot up to his lips as if on its own, and he dared to glance at his fingers. They came out golden, too. He could feel the alien, but pleasant sweetness on his mouth again.

Marius chuckled again, arranging the dataslates in his arms. ‘Yes. Your lips are all painted, my King. And rather generously so. I do not think that anyone would assume you started experimentally—and so sloppily—with body paint of this particular colour. Especially not with Colchisian body paint.’

Roboute would have covered his face with his hands, had he not remembered in time that now both his palms were smeared with paint.

And probably the back of his neck, too, where Lorgar put his hand and pressed down to bring him closer…

‘I can assure them,’ Marius continued completely unperturbed, ‘that it is not the case. In fact, I have witnessed just how the paint ended up on you…’

Roboute stared at him in horror. A sudden xenos invasion would have been very welcome right now. ‘How?’ Roboute managed to whisper.

‘Oh, you were too… occupied to notice when I walked in. But I quickly left, do not worry.’ Marius was clearly enjoying himself, much to Roboute’s defeat. Then the laugh lines on Marius’s face softened. ‘I am happy for you. The whole Legion is. You needed it. It pained me to see your mutual attraction getting nowhere and making both of you suffer.’

Roboute sighed and rubbed his face. Marius was right, it did feel— He cursed and jerked his hands away from his face. Now he looked even more like a mess, and Marius’s hearty laughter only confirmed it.

Roboute glared at his friend, but it had no effect on the First. Roboute glanced at his hands again, the paint covering the skin almost completely. The paint seemed to be quite resistant to attempts to clean it.

He would wear it for days, for all the world to see.

‘Yes. I am happy, too, old friend.’


End file.
